User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
rick andrews
a Casual Listener

Date Reviewed: June 6, 2003

Bottom Line:

Plays most DVDs great. But a few dvd's that work fine on my other dvd player cube and skip like crazy on this one. Brand new DVDs skip for no apparent reason. I would suggest buying a differnet brand in the same price range.

Reading the other reviews posted on this site, it seems buying this model is like playing a game of Russian Roulette. For me, I would have to say considering this is such a low priced item ($100), I shouldn't be surprised with all the problems I keep having with it. Sometime I would have to "coax" it to play a dvd, while others it would play fine. However, it seems to have a hard time moving from selection to selection, as if it was skipping. However, if you were lucky enough to get your hands on a problem-free system, I would consider it a decent introduction to DVDs.

This is a good unit for people who want to get their feet wet in the whole world of DVD. For less than $100 you get a unit with decent features (see above) and is easy to use. I was also glad to see that this unit is supplied with a Coaxial DD/DTS audio output. This unit also plays CDR's and VCD's with no problem. I have owned my unit for almost 3mos now and have had no problems with skipping or mis-tracking. Picture quality is very good for the average person. I use an S-video cable hooked up to a 27in JVC and it looks great. Now for the downside with these APEX units. The first unit i took home would hardly play discs at all, and i had to exchange it for a new one. There are some quality control issues with APEX, and sometimes you will get a lemon. But for the same cost as a HiFi VHS i guess that is too be expected. All in all a good unit for those who are looking for a cheap way into DVD's.

This is my first DVD player and I am impressed. I have seen some negatives about this player but mine is not one of them.

First, the menus are simple to follow and basic. Second, the remote features are fun. This is especially true after only having used a VCR for my viewing pleasure. It has forward and reverse slow motion, a couple of zoom levels, frame by frame motion, it's just cool!

There are two versions of this 500A released as well as several other 500x versions. You can find firmware updates on the net for this particular player which will give you other viewing options. If you want a cheap priced, low end DVD player to start with this is the one.